Generally stated, the present invention relates to disposable handles employed in the sterile zone or region above a hospital room surgery table which includes surgery lighting fixtures whose position relative the patient is adjusted by the surgeon engaging a sterile handle associated with the light fixture. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-part disposable handle of sterilizable plastic material which may be secured to the surgery light fixture within the sterile zone above the operating table by an operating room nurse or doctor together with a kit of such handle parts provided within a sterile container.
It is currently common practice to provide sterile handles and sterile coverings for handles for operating room light fixtures which are manipulated by the surgeon or operating room nurse during surgery on a hospital patient. It has been common heretofore to provide both permanent and disposable light handles and covers for such light fixtures as disclosed by way of example in prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,124. In that patent, a universal handle is provided for attachment to a lighting fixture associated adaptor fitting and a sterile, disposable thin walled impervious plastics or rubber like material cover is provided over the hollow grip and integral flange portions of the handle. While the cover is foldable into a compact shape for packaging as disclosed in said patent, the adaptor handle is not. In a commercial embodiment of the universal handle of said patent, a metal flange is assembled to a metal grip which provides for a bulky potentially stress inducing configuration for packaging within sterile packages of the thin walled peel back type employed in medical environments for dispensing sterile objects contained therein. It has therefore come to our attention that it would be desirable to provide a disposable handle construction, which may be used with or without a sterile cover of the type disclosed in said '124 patent, which would facilitate the packaging, shipping and dispensing of the same from typical sterilizable medical peel back type packages. It would also be desirable to provide such a handle construction which would be made of light weight inexpensive plastic materials suitable for disposable after a single sterile use, if desired, and which was provided in such a manner that it would be easy for the operating room nurse or doctor to manipulate the handle while in sterile condition for assembly to a typical operating room lighting fixture.